Earth overshoot Day, is one such important parameter which can show how ruthlessly we are consuming the renewable resources of the Planet Earth. And inspite of all the talks and guidelines, nothing actually is happening in controlling our greed to consume.
Earth Overshoot Day marks the date when humanity’s demand for ecological resources and services in a given year exceeds what Earth can regenerate in that year. The term “overshoot” represents the level by which human population’s demand overshoots the sustainable amount of biological resources regenerated on Earth.
Earth Overshoot Day in 2018 : Aug 1st
Earth Overshoot Day in 2019 : July 29th
Earth Overshoot Day in 2020 : Aug 22nd
Earth Overshoot Day in 2021 : July 29th
According to Global Footprint Network (GFN), an organization that collects each country’s consumption data and compares those data with the biocapacity of the planet, humanity’s demand for resources is now equivalent to that of more than 1.7 Earths. The data shows us on track to require the resources of two planets well before mid-21st century. The costs of resource depletion are becoming more evident. Climate change — a result of greenhouse gases being emitted — is the most obvious result and widespread effects. Other biophysical effects include: deforestation, species loss or fisheries collapse. Such resource insecurity can lead to economic stress (such as monetary inflation) and conflict (such as civil unrest)
The data pertaining from the recent years have highlighted India as a role model in the context of consumption of resources. While major countries have been major exploiters of the Earth’s natural resources, the Indian lifestyle provides for a possible solution to the problem. Some of the frontline countries consuming resources are Qatar, Luxembourg, the UAE, France, the UK, Germany, China, and Indonesia. It has been found that if the entire world starts living like the Qataris, an entire year’s global natural resources will be exhausted by the 11th of February.
India finds itself in a much better position compared to the above-mentioned countries. India, with the second-largest population count in the world, still has a per capita consumption rate that is not at all in the danger area of getting unsustainable.
According to the GFN, in a hypothetical situation where every citizen of the world lives like a citizen of the United States, sustainability would call for a total of 5 Earth. This figure is 4.1 for Australia and 2.2 for China. In this same list, it is defined that people of the world living like Indians would actually call for only 0.7 of the planet Earth to reach sustainability.
The above figures put India in a place where it can certainly be a role model for other nations to follow in the context of resource consumption. There are several aspects in the consumption patterns of the Indians that can actually work as solutions for the resource challenges in the world. According to the GFN list, Indian lifestyles call for only 0.7 of the planet Earth. The GFN list places 50 other countries in the same place, like India.
